The provision of a retro-fittable mesh guard to provide an effective cover for the open gutters associated with many roofing systems in a manner to effectively deflect debris accumulating on the roof and simultaneously maximise the transmission of water falling on the roof whilst straightforward in principal, has proved elusive in practice; particularly when a high quality and durable adhesive system is sought in combination with a robust and heavy duty meshing so as to maximise the simplicity of application and minimise the need for mechanical fixture.
The original proposals for self-adhesive gutter guarding included the use of lightweight fibreglass mesh having a double sided adhesive, applied along the edge thereof. The early adhesive bonding tapes were not UV stabilised and were subject to premature deterioration resulting in bonding failure resulting in an unacceptable short life to these early products.
In order to address these premature failures of the early gutter guard meshes, it was found that a double sided adhesive tape applied to the mesh edge and a thin metal laminate applied directly opposing the other side of the mesh could, under pressure, provide a mesh having a metal laminate on one edge and a self-adhesive region on the opposing edge, such that application to the roof and gutters of buildings, could theoretically provide protection to the adhesive region of the mesh and improve longevity of these earlier products. Whilst the improvements to the fibreglass mesh added to the lifespan of this resulting product, it was found that fibreglass as a mesh material, lacks sufficient strength, stability and longevity that would be desirable in harsher environments. Moreover, the inability of fibreglass mesh to resist ember attack, renders its application limited, particularly in high bushfire attack regions. In response to such commercial demands, modified gutter guard products of the type previously described were prepared using analogous techniques with the use of high quality stainless steel and similar meshes. However, it was revealed that the increased resilience of the thicker, less pliable meshes such as stainless steel, provided an unacceptable increase in the pressure applied to the bonding action between the layers of materials and the laminate. Accordingly, such meshes were found to be unsatisfactory as they experienced bond failure. In order to address such premature bond failures, a range of physical fastening accessories were developed of the like disclosed in Australian Patent 2006201429. Whilst the improvements provided with such accessories were valuable, it was found that the installation and labour involved, in addition to the potential breaking or interference with the roofing iron, did not provide a full solution to the problem at hand.
An alternative approach to addressing the adhesive failures of the heavier mesh, included experimentation to increase the thickness of the adhesive tapes. However, the manufacturing problems encountered in the preparation and application of a thicker tape, in addition to the potential compromise to the products stability by the use of a heavier tape, including laminate separation, also failed to provide a suitable answer to the problem at hand.
Further investigation into the limitations encountered with the use of thicker tapes, revealed that double-sided adhesive tapes made up of polyurethane and acrylic foam, retain a physical memory, even after the tape has been applied to the mesh and pressed together under extreme pressure; such that, within relatively short period of time, the tape foam compound would seek to retain its original form, leading to high stress on the adhesive bonds formed and thereby leading to premature bond failure.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide an improved gutter guard self adhesive mesh comprising a heavyweight mesh, having an adhesive tape applied to one edge thereof, being adapted for self adhesion to a gutter and roofing system.